


Welcome Home

by elgatodeltren



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Description of Violence? But not graphic, Fix-It, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, No Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy), five has the emotional intelligence of a cantaloupe, handwaving science and time travel, klaus deserves infinite hugs, tagging just to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25595530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elgatodeltren/pseuds/elgatodeltren
Summary: Number Five learned many things during the apocalypse.  Not just survival skills, like scavenging for food and starting a fire, but anything that could be learned from a salvageable book in the rubble of a library.  He taught himself about particle physics, and the history of stem cell research, and how to read French.  There was not, however, a book on how to talk to people.Or, Five tells Klaus about Dave in the most Five way possible.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 30
Kudos: 482





	Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> This exists in a nonspecific AU wherein pretty much everything except episode 10 happened - so the Academy is still standing, and the apocalypse was averted. Posted before season 2 airs. Thanks to Larn and Devin for putting up with my tua ramblings. Happy reading!

Number Five learned many things during the apocalypse. Not just survival skills, like scavenging for food and starting a fire, but anything that could be learned from a salvageable book in the rubble of a library. He taught himself about particle physics, and the history of stem cell research, and how to read French.

There was not, however, a book on how to talk to people.

Even before he jumped to the future, Five was never what one would call a people person. On a good day, his siblings would have described him as 'abrasive,' and other days they would have just settled for the term 'arrogant asshole.'

And, as Five paced the hallway of the Academy, he reluctantly acknowledged the fact that maybe this wasn't the best idea. 

  
Well, the plan itself — it was brilliant. No one else could have figured it out; he could state that as an indisputable fact. Sure, he had one of the few surviving briefcases to assist him, but even with the technological aid there were a plethora of unknown variables. The jump had required a level of precision, of meticulousness, that had never been necessitated before in his travels, and Five couldn't help but bask in the victory of having succeeded. And with little to no complications, no less.

  
Maybe that's why he didn't want to delegate this to Grace (and wasn't it telling that the _literal robot_ in the family had the most social acuity). His stubborn streak was not only determined to see his plan through to completion, but also to... see the impact of it.

Ugh. He was turning soft. 

Before he could change his mind and go get Grace, his pride won over and he sauntered down the hall.

Klaus' bedroom door stood partially open, giving Five a glimpse of writing filled walls and fabric scattered carelessly about the space. The man in question could be seen sitting cross legged amidst the chaos, cursing a luminescent eye shadow palette and fumbling with a hand mirror.

Five announced his entry with a singular rap on the door before striding into the space. "There's very little mathematical evidence supporting the Butterfly Effect."

" _Wie bitte_?" Klaus spared Five a glance only for a moment, then continued his task with a level of concentration that would normally impress Five. Now it was just annoying. "Do you think this shade is a close enough match to the pride flag?"

Not one to be rivaled, Five resumed with renewed vigor. "Well, obviously it's true because that's how the Temps Commission functions. It's the primary tactic in preserving the timeline — making small adjustments that lead to the correct consequences. However, the idea that one could accidentally cause a massive deviation from the timeline is ludicrous — "

His brother, recognizing the cadence of one of Five's lectures, heaved a sigh and flopped backward onto the floor, his flailing limbs claiming a casualty in the form of a precariously balanced liquid foundation jar. "God, you sadistic little girl, why me?"

"Actions taken while time traveling have unintended consequences, obviously. But there's formulas, albeit complex ones you couldn't possibly comprehend, that allow one more control over the outcome. How else could the Commission have lasted for so long? They had offices, thousands of agents calculating the odds of every effect of every action and maximizing the probability of success. And I had Delores."

Klaus' eyes briefly focused on an old punk band poster before continuing to wander around the room in a quest for focus. Five, apparently, was out of the question. He clenched his fists and tried to remember why he was doing this. 

"The calculations wouldn't have taken me so long, but I had to factor in the defects of the briefcase," Five spared Klaus a long-suffering glare before continuing, as though this were his fault. "So I had to plan for those variables as well, not to mention the chance that a surviving Temps agent would try to interfere with the jump."

"Five, get to the _pooooooint_."

Gritted teeth. Sharp inhale through the nose. "I'm trying to, asshole."

"How's about this," Klaus stood with a flourish, seemingly abandoning his makeover as a lost cause. "Let's go grab some Pad Thai, and we can continue your Keynote address in the presence of others so there will be witnesses to my death by boredom."

Clearly, a different tactic was in order. "You're not going to listen to me. Fine."

Before Klaus could goad Five further, his brother disappeared in a flash of blue light. "Well that was easier than I thought." He twirled in victory, only to be caught in a vice grip by Five. "Famous last words, huh?"

"How much clearer can I make this for your pea sized brain?"

"Hey, watch it! I'll have you know it's at least as big as my b — "

A red hot pain burst through Klaus' thigh, and he looked down to see his eyeliner pencil standing at a 45 degree angle. "What the actual _fuck,_ Five?"

His brother stared back unrepentant. "Stop whining. Grace is in the infirmary already." In another flash, Five was gone again. 

"Hey, come back here, you prick!" Klaus returned his gaze to his leg, unfazed at the trickle of blood but scowling as it seeped into his leggings. "You're paying to replace these!"

Making his way to the infirmary was a long and familiar walk — well, limp — through the hallowed halls of trauma that was their childhood home. He only had to deal with one set of stairs, thankfully, but he was still sweating by the time he pushed open the infirmary door. "Hey, Mom — "

And everything stopped.

Because Dave was lying in the bed.

Sleeping. Breathing.

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again - not that that ever really affected his perception of ghosts, anyway. But the Dave in front of him, the one who had slightly tousled curls and a freckle under his nose, who was covered with a white blanket and whose arm sported an IV line in addition to his tattoo, was _alive._

With a start, he rushed forward, and then he was clinging to the railing of the bed, saying "Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave," but he couldn't stop, and he's definitely crying right now, and he knew his planned eye makeup look was too ambitious for today anyways.

With the perfect timing of a Hallmark movie, Dave's eyes fluttered open as Klaus hovered above him. His brow furrowed, and all Klaus could do was cry harder because _how is this possible?_ "Klaus."

Hands shaking, Klaus cupped Dave's cheeks (his warm flushed _alive_ cheeks) and finally allowed himself to believe this was real. "You're okay," he whispered. "Dave, you're okay."

"I..." he started to sit up but winced and laid back once again. "Where am I?"

"You're safe." The reality of the situation was truly hitting Klaus now, and his tear stained face broke into a grin. "Dave, we're safe here, we don't have to fight anymore, and we don't have to hide. We can... We're okay. You're gonna heal up and we're gonna be okay."

At the sound of movement, Klaus' eyes darted toward the door and saw Five hovering in the doorway. "You did this." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Five answered anyway.

"How — _why_?"

"According to every official record, David Katz of the 173rd Airborne Brigade was KIA on November 9, 1968. The trick was pulling him out of the timeline soon enough to save him but late enough to not get caught." Klaus couldn't read the expression on his brother's face. "As for why, I think that goes without saying."

"I... thank you."

Five stiffened. "Don't mention it."

Dave cleared his throat, which seemed to remind both brothers that they had an audience. "Did you say I was killed?"

"Dave..." Klaus tried to push aside his emotions (well, his emotions about Five and what he did, he was very much focused on the elation of _Dave Dave Dave_ ) and once again returned his gaze to the man he loved. "My brother, the one who can time travel? He saved you. We're in my time. 2019."

"We..." Dave trailed off, and in all fairness he was handling this conversation much better than Klaus would have expected. He looked toward the entryway, but Five had already slinked off to who knows where. Instead of returning his gaze to Klaus' face, however, it was now directed downward, and he was frowning. "Klaus, you're bleeding."

"What?" Right, the eyeliner pencil. Five better pay to replace that too; it's his only one. "Yeah, he stabbed me, it's fine."

"I'm sorry, he _what_?"

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr (elgatodeltren) - I mostly talk about tua and musicals (bonus points for everyone who catches the reference in the title btw)


End file.
